‘Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae’ Gameplay Video Shows Off Demo Dungeon

The latest gameplay video sheds new light on the Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae playable demo.

Noctis, the protagonist of Final Fantasy XV, and his party, venture into what appears to be a labyrinthine cave system. There, they run across goblin-esque enemies and break into action-driven, real-time role-playing battles. Shedding its turn-based roots, XV feels more like Kingdom Hearts in the battle portion of the video. The signature sweeping strings and pounding piano notes infused into the score by renowned Kingdom Hearts composer Yoko Shimomura certainly add to that feeling.

Before getting to the actual battle portion of the video, viewers can catch a glimpse of how visually appealing and interactive the environment is in Final Fantasy XV. In some cases, the environment interacts with the characters, as seen when the bats rush out of the cave and startle the game’s heroes. In other instances, the characters have the opportunity to interact with the environment, like when Noctis has to crawl through a tight spot in the cavern walls. The trailer cautions, “Deep in the dark, awaits the unknown” and is a line that could be interpreted to imply an open-world, adventure experience within the caves. Although the footage in the video comes directly from the latest version of the demo, the footage appears to be edited. What remains to be seen is how free-flowing and open the caves really are. Can players truly explore the cave system or are the game’s environments a linear extravaganza that falls short of expectations, much like Final Fantasy XIII did?

Fans eager to know the answers to these questions have consistently been assured by the game’s development team at Square Enix on numerous occasions that the open-world nature of Final Fantasy XV will not disappoint. Before the end of 2014, Square Enix delivered a 10-minute live stream walkthrough presentation of a Japanese tech demo that showcased the expansive nature of the game’s world.

Square Enix further touts the ecology and creatures found in Final Fantasy XV, plus the real-time graphics engine being used to create them, through a “World of Wonder” trailer.

Ultimately, gamers will have the opportunity to decide whether the gameplay experience is satisfying when they experience the demo for themselves. The Final Fantasy XV: Episode Duscae playable demo is available exclusively with the Day One Edition of Final Fantasy Type-0 HD, which is scheduled for release on March 17, 2015 in North America.